Yola advocates for visibility in her newly-released empowering self-penned song titled “Hold On.” The Nashville-by-way-of-England singer-songwriter presents her uplifting soul song (as well as her soul through song) featuring two members of The Highwomen – Brandi Carlile and Natalie Hemby – on backing vocals, Sheryl Crow on piano, and Jason Isbell on guitar, and produced by Dave Cobb. “Hold On” was inspired by conversations Yola had with her mother growing up. These conversations explicitly warned young Yola of the systematic racism, colorism, and unconscious bias she would experience in life as Black woman. Yola says that the song is “a conversation between me and the next generation of young Black girls. My mother’s advice would always stress caution, that all that glitters isn’t gold, and that my black role models on TV are probably having a hard time. She warned me that I should rethink my calling to be a writer and a singer…but to me that was all the more reason I should take up this space. “Hold On” is asking the next [generation] to take up space, to be visible, and to show what it looks like to be young, gifted, and black.” A portion of the profits made from sales will be donated to MusicCares and National Bailout Collective. Listeners can find “Hold On” on Spotify and Apple Music, and Yola is making her headlining debut at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in May 2021.
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Written by Jordan Nickel-Dubin